Haoleguy
Platinum Member
Since there are not many posts about Normand products( Company Normand - History ) and less so for their trailers I thought I would share my recent purchase of a small vineyard trailer.
My selection towards Normand was based on specific requirements for a vineyard use trailer. My rows between vines are narrow at 84 inches on center(less when considering posts and canopy hedge) and I wanted the trailer to be no wider than 54 inches as that would match my tractor width. Target length would be 7-8 ft and deck height around 2ft. My requirements were to carry between 1.25 and 2 tons of materials. I needed at least 50 inches inside bed width to handle 1 ton bins or lugs for grapes at harvest. The bed should be able to dump so that I can carry rock, stone, & brush. When you look at these requirements it means an over-deck design and to keep the bed height in the 2 ft range a walking beam construction that would allow good weight capacity.
So when I first started looking through my tractor dealer(AgroTrend & John BM Manufacturing) or online(Pronovost, Pro-Haul = King Kutter, Taylor-Way & others) I could not find exactly what I was looking for. At this time it became clear to me that there is a balance between trailer materials weight and how that eats up weight capacity. So finding capacity capability and durability is a fine line. So I contacted my local welder to see if he could build me a trailer as he is well known for quality truck flatbeds. He did not have time to track materials down so I did that and quickly learned how to match spindles, hubs, wheels, and tires to get the most weight carrying capability in a small package. Things dragged on with my welder so I abandoned local build and started checking around again. The folks at Pro-Haul were terrific and willing to make a longer trailer from their King Kutter XB design but weight capacity was still a slight issue. It was searching through online equipment sites that I saw what Normand was offering in the same category through dealers in Canada. I sent them an email and got a response back that they could sell direct into the US. After going back and forth on details it was clear that the gauge metal used was thicker, the hubs & spindles were heavier duty, and with a tire upgrade I could carry more weight than the competitor could offer. Also the sides fold down or can be taken off completely to get a flat deck. The fit and finish look great. I have used it very little thus far as I just received it but in the coming weeks and months I will report back on how things are working with this little trailer on several tasks. Heres' a few pics.......Gary
My selection towards Normand was based on specific requirements for a vineyard use trailer. My rows between vines are narrow at 84 inches on center(less when considering posts and canopy hedge) and I wanted the trailer to be no wider than 54 inches as that would match my tractor width. Target length would be 7-8 ft and deck height around 2ft. My requirements were to carry between 1.25 and 2 tons of materials. I needed at least 50 inches inside bed width to handle 1 ton bins or lugs for grapes at harvest. The bed should be able to dump so that I can carry rock, stone, & brush. When you look at these requirements it means an over-deck design and to keep the bed height in the 2 ft range a walking beam construction that would allow good weight capacity.
So when I first started looking through my tractor dealer(AgroTrend & John BM Manufacturing) or online(Pronovost, Pro-Haul = King Kutter, Taylor-Way & others) I could not find exactly what I was looking for. At this time it became clear to me that there is a balance between trailer materials weight and how that eats up weight capacity. So finding capacity capability and durability is a fine line. So I contacted my local welder to see if he could build me a trailer as he is well known for quality truck flatbeds. He did not have time to track materials down so I did that and quickly learned how to match spindles, hubs, wheels, and tires to get the most weight carrying capability in a small package. Things dragged on with my welder so I abandoned local build and started checking around again. The folks at Pro-Haul were terrific and willing to make a longer trailer from their King Kutter XB design but weight capacity was still a slight issue. It was searching through online equipment sites that I saw what Normand was offering in the same category through dealers in Canada. I sent them an email and got a response back that they could sell direct into the US. After going back and forth on details it was clear that the gauge metal used was thicker, the hubs & spindles were heavier duty, and with a tire upgrade I could carry more weight than the competitor could offer. Also the sides fold down or can be taken off completely to get a flat deck. The fit and finish look great. I have used it very little thus far as I just received it but in the coming weeks and months I will report back on how things are working with this little trailer on several tasks. Heres' a few pics.......Gary
